Bali Will Host Conference Of Parties Minamata Convention On Mercury, Participated By 137 Countries

Bali Governor Wayan Koster/PHOTOS OF BALI PROVINCE

DENPASAR - Bali Governor Wayan Koster welcomed the plan for the Conference of Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury in Bali.

"This conference, which will be held for the first time in Bali, will take place from March 21 to 25, 2022 with a bubble system, considering that the Covid-19 pandemic is still ongoing," said Koster when receiving an audience with the Director General of Waste, Waste and Hazardous Toxic Materials at the Ministry of Environment. Life and Forestry Rosa Vivien Ratnawati in Jaya Sabha, Denpasar, Bali, Friday, January 14.

Koster also expressed his gratitude for choosing Bali as the location for the conference. Koster said the conference would be able to revive the Balinese economy.

"Thank you for choosing Bali as the location for the event. This year quite a lot of international events will be held in Bali. Of course I hope this will be able to revive the Balinese economy," he hoped.

In addition, Koster continues to remind the organizers that health protocols are an important concern to prevent the spread of new Covid-19 cases.

"(I) hope that the conference participants will also be able to visit the Bali Bangkit IKM exhibition which will be held at the Cultural Park, Art Center, Denpasar," he said.

Meanwhile, Director General of PSLB3 at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Rosa Vivien Ratnawati, said that Indonesia and Bali should be proud because so far the Conference of Parties Minamata Convention on Mercury has always been held in Switzerland.

"This is the first time Indonesia is the host. It will be attended by 137 countries with the number of participants reaching a thousand people," he said.

According to him, this conference will discuss the reduction and elimination of mercury for the health, manufacturing, energy and gold mining sectors. He hopes that the arrival of the conference participants will be able to build the Indonesian economy, especially Bali, in the midst of the decline in tourism due to the pandemic.

"Of course the health protocol (prokes) must also be considered with a bubble system. This means that during the event they will only be in a predetermined area. After the conference is over, they will again undergo a swab test and if the result is negative then they will be able to enjoy Bali tourism. Considering that the participants have come all the way to Bali, later we will arrange all of that," he said.